Israeli settlers defile al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection

The settlers entered the Mosque in different groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under tight police protection, according to local sources.

During their tours at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them provocatively performed Talmudic prayers.

Jerusalemite media said that police officers assaulted some Palestinian girls in the Mosque’s courtyards and brutally arrested one of them before taking her away through al-Maghariba Gate.

Dozens of Muslim worshipers were injured and over 400 others were arrested during violent Israeli police raids on the Aqsa Mosque last night.

Windows, doors and furniture inside the Mosque’s buildings reportedly sustained different levels of damage during those raids.

Later, police forces stormed the Aqsa Mosque anew at dawn and in the morning, assaulted and arrested many Muslim worshipers, and escorted Jewish settlers as they were touring the Islamic holy site.

Video footage circulated on the internet showered a large number of police forces barging their way into the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards at dawn and forcing Muslim worshipers to leave their holy site.

The Israeli police also prevented many Muslim worshipers from entering the Mosque for dawn prayers, which forced them to pray on roads leading to the holy site.

During their dawn and morning raids, Israeli police forces arrested at least seven Palestinians, including a photojournalist and three paramedics.